With some NHL experience under his belt, Jiri Tlusty should be looking to establish himself as an offensive threat in the Toronto lineup. Although (like some other Leafs' players this season) Tlusty is still working on establishing himself within the North American game (He jumped three levels in two years here), Tlusty's shiftiness and creativity will pay dividends immediately for the Leafs.
Tlusty will probably start to develop into a solid goal-scorer this season (In the neighbourhood of 15 or 20), but he's still a few years away from reaching his full potential at the NHL level.
Jason Blake was another player who had a very tough year last year. Despite taking 332 shots last season, Blake only scored 15 goals—25 fewer than his 2006/07 total which netted him his monster deal with Toronto. Although Blake was going through something none of us can understand (playing with a treatable kind of cancer), he never used it as an excuse, and went through the bashing that always seems to come with such a large contract.
Although battling disease is never easy, Blake may have an easier time this year, after having the experience of playing through it last season. Jason may also benefit from being more of a feature player and a leader for this team on offense, and once he recovers from a few of the bumps and bruises of preseason, he could at least hit the 50-point mark once again.
Alex Ponikarovsky could be entering a make-or-break season for himself. On one hand, Poni is a two-time 20-goal scorer. On the other hand, he's never produced without riding shotgun to Mats Sundin. If Ponikarovsky can prove that he can be a goal-scorer without needing an All-Star to set him up then he may have a place on this team. Otherwise, Toronto may be looking at giving up his spot to some youth, or a quality depth guy.
Replacing Poni though, will be the blazing speed of Niklas Hagman. Although Hagman isn't expected to repeat his 27-goal season from last year, Hagman still brings some penalty-killing prowess and legs that can help him fly.
With the depth guys who may be hungrily eyeing a move up the depth chart, Jamal Mayers seems to be safe. Although he's been sought after by the Leafs for a few seasons, Mayers brings some grit and some leadership at a time when the Leafs need it most. Granted he'll never produce eye-popping offensive numbers, but Mayers can be integral to this team in every other facet of the game.
Ryan Hollweg meanwhile will just offer a reckless player who can fight (but not necessarily win) and be a pretty chippy guy. As much as I liked him the first time I saw him this preseason, his act wore thin pretty quickly, swiftly earning himself that two-game suspension to start the season. Maybe Mark Bell could see action in those two games?
Add in to that Dominic Moore who's coming off a near-career year and Jeremy Williams could thrive with an expanded role in Toronto.
If any other spots open up for the Leafs though, look for Robbie Earl, Ben Ondruss, or Darryl Boyce to see some more NHL ice time.
Update: As I'm watching TSN while writing this, I just heard that Ian White will play on a line with John Mitchell and Matt Stajan, answering the question of where White will play.
So what's it all mean?
Basically, this year is going to be painful for Leafs fans. There's no one that's a proven scorer on this roster that didn't relate directly back to Mats Sundin's ability to raise the level of play of those around him.
Jason Blake could be the go-to guy, but he still has to prove it to the Leafs and their fans.
So the forwards may be searching for production, the defense may be looking to gel, and the goalies may just be begging to keep their sanity.
If the Leafs go anywhere, some youngsters and veterans alike are going to have to surprise.
For Leafs fans, the surprise would certainly be a welcome one.
5th in Northeast Division
Bryan Thiel is a Senior Writer and an NHL Community Leader for Bleacher Report. You can contact Bryan through his profile and you can also check out all of his previous work in his archives.
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